


Cetar

by Lady_Astro_Ovess



Series: Cetar [1]
Category: The Mandalorian
Genre: Cetar, F/F, F/M, Foundlings, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, clan dynamics, clan ovess, more to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23079496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Astro_Ovess/pseuds/Lady_Astro_Ovess
Summary: Translation:Oya: literally Let's hunt!Oya'karir: fanon word for hunt battle criesDosh: trandoshan languageGe'hutuun: criminalsHarchaak: Mando'a expletiveElek: yes, okayBuir, ad: parent, child
Series: Cetar [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679971
Comments: 9
Kudos: 31





	1. Prologue: Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> Translation:  
> Oya: literally Let's hunt!  
> Oya'karir: fanon word for hunt battle cries  
> Dosh: trandoshan language  
> Ge'hutuun: criminals  
> Harchaak: Mando'a expletive  
> Elek: yes, okay  
> Buir, ad: parent, child

The outer-rim territory is a vast, unforgiving expanse of space. It has been rife with scum and filth long before the Empire got it’s vile tendrils into it. And while it’s been years since the War ended and the reformed Republic has made efforts to repair the galaxy, seedy crimes and filthy dealings still persist in the shadows.

And that is something the Ovess Clan simply doesn't forgive. 

The Clan’s teroch-style gunship, the Drago Helm, had tracked a group of Trandoshan smugglers to a dust choked rock conveniently unmarked in the mid-rim star maps. The Ovess caught them in the middle of transport. The Mando’ade knew they needed to hurry.   
  
_“Oya!”_

Sparing no time, the largest of the Ovess leapt from the Helm’s loading ramp, crossing the desert ground at incredible speeds. Before the lead slave trader can recognize the red blur closing in on him, a massive glove grabs him by the jugular and slams him into the ground. The Trandoshan can barely grip his blaster before a boot slams down to crush his wrist.  
  
“Don’t move.” Izay growled. 

The other traders grab the innocents and flee to the shipyard as quickly as they can. Izay lets out a curse as three of his Clan sprint past him, weapons at the ready. Their boots pound against the dirt like the drums of war, beating in time with the hearts in their chests. When the traders split and dive into the ruins of the shipyard, the Ovess are hot on each of their tails. There are shouts of oya’karir, and the scattered whistles of rifle fire. And almost as quickly as the commotion began, silence overtook the landscape once more, save for the sickening crunches of beskar colliding with scales. 

«I’ll ask just one more time. _How many have you taken?_ »

Izay’s boot slams down hard into the Trandoshan’s chest, crushing his battered gear and threatening to break the already bruised ribs underneath. There’s a weak hiss as the Trandoshan struggled to grip Izay’s ankle in a vain attempt to break free, but his talons barely pierce the leather. His hands, after all, had already been crushed.

«Not gonna answer me?» Izay snarled in Dosh.«And here I thought you Trandoshan hunters could be reasoned with.» 

Izay hit the cuff of his vambrace against his cuirass, causing a hidden viroblade to shoot out.  
«If you won’t talk, then I will take another tooth.” 

From the ship’s loading ramp, Jyothi sighed beneath her visor while Akali giggled in amusement. They’d elected to stay behind on the ship for lookout, and in turn watched Izay beat into his quarry for at least five brutal minutes. The Heavy Artillery showed no signs of stopping. 

“We should probably remind Izay that we lose some of the bounty if the ge’hutuuns die.” Akali grinned. The specialist then snorted when Izay dug the viroblade into the trader’s mouth, eliciting a mangled scream. 

“Harchaak… Izay really hates slave traders.” Akali says to Jyothi. 

“As do I. But at this rate, Izay will kill him.” Jyothi sighed beneath her visor. The older Mandalorian turned back into the ship so she could get the med-bay prepared. There would soon be new passengers, all of which Jyothi would need to evaluate. She turned to Akali and clicked her tongue. “Tell Izay to control himself and get that filth in the holding cell. Nika won’t want the innocents to see all that blood.” 

“Elek, Jyothi.” Akali said as she slid down the loading ramp. She called out to Izay with cupped gloves, forcing her modulator to fizz. “Hey, Izay? IZAY!” 

  
Izay’s crimson helmet whipped around. 

_“What?!”_

“Move the ge’hutuun over there!” 

_“There?!”_

“Yes, over there—no, I said MOVE, not THROW!” 

  
  
  
  


Within the abandoned shipyard, Aya and Vers had taken to retrieval. So far, Aya recovered six slaves of differing species. Most of the slaves were young adults, and were all in varying states of distress. 

“It’s okay,” Aya cooed as she led them to the ship with a gentle hand. “We will take you home once your injuries are addressed.” 

Off in the opposite end of the shipyard, far from the eyes of their former captives, Vers had trussed up three of the runaway traders with steel cables. The fourth was unceremoniously hog tied and draped over Vers’ spiked pauldrons, which sliced into his side with ease. The trader cried out in obvious pain, but the Mandalorian paid no mind. 

“Vers, are those the last of the crew?”  
  
Vers turned his head to find Nika standing a few feet from him, holding a gold Twi’lek child in her arms.The ion-blasters on Nika’s helmet had been locked forward, but began to rise back up into position when his buir came forward to observe the catch. She noted the lack of serious injuries on the Trandoshans and hummed in approval.

“You followed orders, Vers. Not a single one broken in half.” 

Curious, Vers nodded down to the child in his buir’s arms. Nika looked down and gently lifted the limp lekk to reveal a delicate little face with a nubbin nose and big blue eyes. She couldn’t have been older than seven. Irritated by the sun, the child buried her face into Nika’s cuirass and she let out a little whine.  
“It’s alright, little one.” Nika murmured, moving her cloak to wrap around the child. “We will bring you home. I promise.” 

  
Vers stepped closer to his buir before flipping his free hand towards Nika. He then hit his thumb to his visor and hit his knuckles to his chest’. Nika’s helmet tilted slightly. “You know we have to, Vers. She might have a family.” Vers’ helmet droops, causing his buir to sigh. 

“ _Ad_ , this is not… _this is not the time_. Come. We need to go before Cassius begins to worry.” 

The zabrak nodded slowly and, a bit dispirited, began dragging the trussed up slave traders behind him as he followed Nika back to the ship. From beneath the cloak, the child peers out with wide eyes, staring at the man with horns on his head. Vers notices just as he ascends the loading ramp of the Drago Helm. Hesitantly, he waves at her. 

A single, gold lekku curls out from beneath the cloak and slowly waves back.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Drago Helm was now prepared to embark back to Keftiir now that it was empty of innocents--well, all but one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> bata namilee, bukee: go back to your family  
> nobata namilee: I don't want to go back etc.  
> addoh, oad: bad, father  
> kikyuna: friend  
> ad'ika: little one, affectionate  
> buir: parent

“I found her hiding in the rubble.” Nika explained to Jyothi, placing the little twi’lek child onto the examination table. “Climbed into my arms the second I offered them.”

Jyothi looked the child over, datapad in hand. The medic tested the child’s reflexes, eyes, and hearing. She responded well, and didn’t even seem dehydrated. Hell, the worst injury she had was from the blood sample Jyothi took.

“How old is she?” Jyothi asked. "She's so small." 

“I don’t know.” Nika sighed, her helmet tilted down to face the child, who was reaching up to pull on Nika's visor. “I asked in Ryl, but she keeps-- _stop it, sweetie_ \--she keeps trying to touch my face. I do know her name though. It’s Tsanko.” 

“Well, Tsanko is a child, they like to touch things.” Jyothi offered, gently lifting up one of Tsanko’s lekku while she was distracted. “Hm… she’s young. Maybe 5 or 6. Such an age gap between her and the others.” 

Nika turned to look where Jyothi was nodding to. 

Huddled on the cots were all of the other Innocents: two humans, a Togruta, and three Rodians. They, like the twi’lek child, seemed to be in relatively good health for the most part. They didn’t even seem to need much else other than counseling for their last few fear-stricken days. When Vers came down from the bridge to help in examinations, all the Innocents needed from him were the essentials of blankets and water. And while this is a surprising thing to hear, the Ovess have worked their trade long enough to know that Innocents rarely were in such shape. Not unless they were taken for a very specific purpose, like entertainment and submission...

Kriff…

Nika tried to suppress the twisting of her stomach and turned back to Tsanko, who was cooing at her reflection in Nika's pauldron. Jyothi eventually finished her examination, leaving the little twi’lek free to redirect her attention elsewhere. Specifically by putting her little hands back on Nika’s visor. 

“You’re a funny little one.” Nika sighed, humored at the little palms blocking her vision. “I’m sure your parents miss you terribly. But I promise we will get you home soon.”

Tsanko looks up at Nika, blue eyes blinking innocently. It seemed that the twi’lek child didn’t understand, so Nika clarified in Huttese. “Ah, bata namilee, bukee.” 

At those words, Tsanko’s lekku twitch in recognition, but her smile drops into a frown. She shakes her head at Nika and says in a soft, panicked voice, “No, nobata namilee.”

Nika is taken aback. Tsanko had just told her no, she didn’t want to go back to her family. Were they no longer alive? Or had Nika just misheard her? Confused, Nika repeated herself to Tsanko, who only became more upset. “No! Addoh namilee! Addoh oad!” 

Horrified at the sheer desperation in Tsanko’s voice, Nika pulled Tsanko into a hug, whispering softly into her ear and rocking her in her arms. The comfort works almost immediately, flipping Tsanko’s demeanor like a switch. She’s giggling and palming at Nika again, before shouting over the mandalorian’s shoulder. 

“Kikyuna!” 

Tsanko is giddy, pointing over to Vers with grabbing hands. “Kikyuna!”   
She recognized Vers as the big friendly man that had beat up the mean slave traders. As far as Tsanko was aware of, Vers was a friend. Nika smiled, patting the little twi’leks back. “Hey, Vers?” 

Vers turned around, his horns lightly scraping against the roof of the medbay as he did so. “Hm?” 

He saw his buir motioning to him with a patient hand, as well as the twi’lek child peering over Nika’s shoulder. “Can you come here, ad?”

Vers finished handing out blankets and quickly came to Nika’s side in a hurry, dwarfing his parent with ease. He grunts in question, quietly asking what’s going on. Nika nodded down to the small, golden child in her arms. “Our little friend wanted to meet you.” 

The words catch Vers by surprise, and he fidgets with his gloves. «Really?» he asked, holding his folded hand out. Nika nods, assuring her ad that he can introduce himself. “Her name is Tsanko.” 

“Ah…” 

In a soft attempt to greet Tsanko, Vers reaches down for the child so as to pick her up. Ignoring this completely, Tsanko immediately climbs up and grabs onto Vers’ horn caps, pushing off the examination table and forcing Vers to stumble. The mandalorian hardly has time to catch his footing before there’s a giggling twi’lek hanging from his helmet, swinging her feet as if she’s on some kiddie ride. “Kikyuna!” 

“Oh dear.” Jyothi laughed, watching Vers stumble around, laughing as he entertained the little one. “She’s an interesting ad’ika.” 

Nika nodded, smiling as she watched her ad carrying Tsanko with glee. The Alor looks back to Jyothi, clearing her throat before speaking in an uncharacteristically calm voice, “Jyothi, give me that datapad please.” 

_______________________________________________________________

  
  


Returning the Innocents to their home planet was, thankfully, a painless endeavor. The jump through hyperspace brought the Drago Helm to sector R17 of the outer rim, right to the entry gate of a small agricultural planet called Yornas IV. It was a humble planet, the kind seemingly forgotten by the ‘caring hands’ of the Republic in its infant years of reformation. Nika found little to be surprised about, though, and was reminded why she took up this job for the Ovess in the first place. If the Republic can’t protect Innocents, then the Ovess will.

All the money and precious metals confiscated from the slave traders were portioned to each Innocent respectfully, with the promise of an Ovess coming to check on them come the following cycle. The Drago Helm was now prepared to embark back to Keftiir now that it was empty of innocents--well, all but one.

As it turned out, Tsanko’s family were the ones who sold her to the slave traders. Tsanko had called them a bad family, particularly her father, which immediately caused Nika to find out just who this ‘family’ was. The moment the Drago Helm touched down on Yornas IV, Nika set out to find the man herself, gripping Jyothi’s datapad with an iron grip.

Nika found Tsanko’s family, drinking themselves into a boisterous stupor in the village’s tavern. Nika felt a fire in her belly at the sight; these people had sold their child, and all they did with the filthy credits they’d gotten… was spent on alcohol. They didn't even care that they'd intentionally sold their daughter into a life of servitude and suffering. The conversation Nika had with this pitiful father was incredibly short, with Nika’s boot being the final word between them. 

An hour later during the Drago Helm’s jump through hyperspace, little Tsanko sat on the railing of the ship’s bridge, staring out of the transparisteel viewport with opalescent eyes. She was dressed in a spare shirt that Aya had gladly given, which on the child fit more like a dress. There weren’t any proper shoes to give Tsanko on board, so Jyothi made makeshift socks out of spare bedding. Nika felt her heart swell with adoration. 

“So,” Izay hum’s from the helm, noticing how upbeat Nika was, “we finally have a Foundling now, Alor?”

“We do.” Nika nods, turning to her al’verde. “Her biological family did not care enough for her. They made that very clear.” 

Izay nods, his heart heavy with disappointment. “Bastards like that don’t deserve the gift of family… Ah, shouldn’t have cursed.”

The Drago Helm’s navigation had chimed, signaling it was reaching the entryway to Keftiir. Nika hummed, removing her helmet and shaking out her silky black hair. Izay did the same with his helmet, exposing his jagged scars to the cooling air. The al’verde sighed, glad he would soon be home. “Tycza will be excited to meet the Foundling. Does the little one understand basic?”

“Not yet.” Nika shrugged, bracing herself as the ship roared out of hyperspace. “But, I think she will learn it quickly. She already knows one word in Mando’a.”

As if on cue, Vers walks onto the bridge, helmet off and tucked beneath his arm. Tsanko leapt up at the sight of him and ran, excitedly calling out to Vers to be picked up. “Buir! Buir!” 

Izay smiled, turning back to the helm as the light trails of hyperspace dispersed and Keftiir bloomed into view. A massive, fluorescent planet glittering from fathomless oceans and flourishing forests. The Drago Helm’s engines roared as it began its descent through the atmosphere. Nika took to the comms, tuning to the radio towers and sending out a short, simple message. 

“Cassius? We’re home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this took so long--I fell into the depression pit, deleted the chapter, rewrote it.. and it was hard to get motivated again, but you guys have been so sweet and patient. I genuinely hope you like it

**Author's Note:**

> \- Aya and Vers are bonded siblings that Cassius and Nika liberated from the slave trade. These two former Foundlings consider Cassius and Nika as their buir.  
> \- All other Ovess members are back on Keftiir  
> \- the Ovess do not refer to slaves as such, but call them innocents
> 
> I am also not a writer. This would've been longer but I cut it. Whatever comments/constructive critiques you have, I am open!


End file.
